The Light of the Mountain
by Samwise the Strong
Summary: Fili and Kili survived ten years in Moria, but can they survive the quest to Erebor where they might meet again with their former tormentors? This is the sequel to The Despair of Moria.
1. Chapter 1

The Light of the Mountain Chapter 1

Sequel to The Despair of Moria

After ten years of suffering in the bowels of Moria, Fili and Kili had escaped the darkness and had returned to the dwarven realm in Eder Luin. There was great rejoicing over their return, as it had been believed that they were long dead. They were reunited with old friends like Dwalin, the old warrior, Balin, his kind and friendly brother, and Ori, a dwarf more of their own age. All of them were very happy to see Fili and Kili returned. But none were more happy than their uncle Thorin and their mother Dis. Dis' beloved angels had been returned to her, and she would never let them go again.

However, both of the young dwarves had been irrevocably marked by their experiences in Moria, not merely physically, but emotionally as well. While Thorin had gone back to treating Fili as his heir, for he had assured Fili that while he was still able, he would always be Thorin's heir; Thorin could not help but notice the timidness and quietness that always surrounded the young dwarf now. There was no chatter, no witty retorts and very little laughter. Fili was not the same young dwarf he had been nd everyone knew it.

Fili's missing toes had been replaced by small iron substitutes that were held in place by braces that spanned over his feet and strapped at the ankle. He did not very much enjoy wearing them, but if they helped him to walk, it would have to be a necessary sacrifice. Also Fili still did not sleep for any length of time despite assurances that he would not be bothered. It was not know, even by him, why this survival tactic persisted. It was believed that it would probably continue to do so for some time. Or even forever. As a result, Fili often looked terrible, like a deathly shadow.

Kili persisted in doing the opposite, sleeping for long periods of time. No one could say what he was trying to escape from now through this action, but sleep he did. There were never any nightmares for either of them. Fili had merely been programmed not to sleep for long due to brutish orcs and their cruel ways. Kili had programmed himself to sleep for long periods to escape from boredom and pain. The experiences of the brothers had been quite different, so their tactics were different, but similarly harrowing. Fili had noticed something about Kili. The younger dwarf often cried in his sleep. Fili would never ask why, but it was simply something that he had noticed.

Only people within the immediate family, and a very few of the highly trusted knew about the marks on Kili. No one said anything, despite the fact that Dis had almost cried when she saw it. She found herself almost crying about so many things when it came to her beloved sons. However, neither of them wanted anyone's pity, nor for anyone to really notice them at all. When they were not attending to something, they were mere ghosts who could only find solace in each other, for only they knew most of the truth of each other's time, despite the fact that they hardly ever spoke of it.

The first time it happened, there was panic in the village. Kili had been sleeping in his bed one morning. No one suspected that anything would happen, but the next time Dis came to check on him, Kili was gone. The worried mother gathered everyone, and they searched high and low, looking for the missing dwarf. It was Fili that found Kili. The young dwarf was hiding under the bed, huddled in the back corner and quietly crying in his sleep. Fili rousted him and Dis gave him an earful about not scaring her like that. He agreed he would not do it again, but promises are sometimes broken, and from then on, the dwarves knew where they were most likely to find Kili on those days.

Fili, on the other hand, could not get enough of being outside. He loved the light and the openness and the perceived freedom...Or was it true freedom? He did not know. Freedom was an odd concept sometimes. He was free, and yet he could not help but feel that he was still trapped. It did nt make sense sometimes. He got his best rest when he was outside, and would often sleep out under the stars when he could. He would sometimes force Kili to come out with him, but Kili did not like it. He felt too exposed.

Kili's fainting spells continued, and the large scar over his eye often made him self-conscious. Before all of this, he had been one of the most eligible bachelors in Ered Luin. Who would want him now that his face and his body was ruined. His mother old him that it wasn't so serious, that the scar didn't matter, but it didn't matter what anyone said. His self hatred over so many things continued. His fainting spells had improved. They did not happen as often, or last as long, but they were still there and people noticed.

Despite all of this, Fili and Kili were alive and as happy as they could be given the circumstances. They did not seem happy, but one man's manic state is another man's extravaganza. And they still had each other, and their family. People who loved them, and people they had so often longed for in the ten years they had been gone. They had assured themselves that everything would be fine as long as they stayed close to family and home.

One day, a wizard came to see Thorin. They talked for a long time, and in the end, it seemed that the wizard had left Thorin something. Thorin was not all together sure that he wanted Fili of Kili to know. It was a map that pointed out the location of a secret door into the Lonely Mountain and a key to open that door. The wizard, Gandalf, had taken it from Thorin's father, Thrain, before he died, and was now returning it to Thorin. The news regarding Erebor was good, as the raven's were returning, and everything seemed to be moving into alignment.

However, this would mean travel to the mountain, and Dis would kill Thorin if he even suggested that Fili and Kili join him. So he kept it a secret for a while. Discussing it only with his most trusted friends, Dwalin and Balin. However, Fili was smart, and one day he snuck into the study while the three dwarves were looking at the map. In Moria he had learned to be quite stealthy, and it served him well. Or perhaps not so well.

"Is that a map to Erebor?" He asked upon seeing it.

The three elder dwarves were shocked at his appearance. "Fili! What are you doing here?" Thorin cried. "You are not supposed to be in here!"

"Sorry Uncle. It is just that you have been being so mysterious lately. I just wanted to know what you were hiding from me?"

Thorin did not know what to say. 'What I am hiding from him...' he thought dolefully. "I am sorry, Fili. I did not mean to snap. Or hide things from you. I am trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" Fili asked. "That is a map of the mountain, isn't it? Are you going there?"

"I am thinking about it."

"Thinking about it?" Fili said in non-belief. "Come now Uncle. You and I both know that you would jump at the chance."

"I would. But Fili..."

"No! If you go, we go with you."

Again, they were taken aback. Fili hadn't been this assertive in a very long time. "Alright." Thorin said, but he had no idea how he was going to sell this to Dis.

So the chosen dwarves began to prepare for the journey. Fili and Kili did as well, and their excitement was just as great as any of the others. Then on the night of setting out, Thorin spoke to Dis.

"You can't take them." She said, shaking her head.

"I have to," he said. "I promised Fili."

"And what about me, Thorin?" She said. "What am I to do? They died, Thorin, and it is by the grace of Mahal that they have returned. I cannot suffer that a second time!"

"Dis, Fili is my heir. He should be there when we reclaim the mountain."

"And he is my _son, _Thorin! They both are, regardless of whether or not they are someone's heirs."

"I know, Dis, and I am sorry..."

"No! I am sorry brother, but they stay here with me. Leave now, do not tell them. If they try to follow, I shall deal with that. Do we have an understanding?"

"Of course, sister. I will go now. I shall miss the three of you."

"You will send for them when it is safe. This is for the best, Thorin." She said with head bowed. She felt guilty, but she also felt she was doing what was right. Thorin quickly kissed her on the forehead and then he was gone. What they did not know was that stealthy Kili had heard raised voices and had come to see what was happening. Had heard them and was now returning to speak with his brother. He shook Fili out of his already light sleep.

"Fili!" He whispered the exclamation. "Thorin is leaving. He's leaving us behind!"

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Hello ladies and gents! Yes this is the first chapter of my sequel to The Despair of Moria, so if you have read this chapter, like what you see, and haven't gotten to that one, go check it out! Hopefully this will all make sense when it comes together, haha. Anyway, if you like what you see, you have questions, comments, suggestions, love it, want to constructively criticize, give me a review and I will try to answer any questions, concerns, or just give you a big virtual hug! This is a rated "T" story but there may be some recall to past events, and any chapters that move into edginess shall have warnings. Thank you for reading, and cheers! STS


	2. Chapter 2

The Light of the Mountain Chapter 2

Thorin was indeed leaving without Fili and Kili. He felt conflicted about it, but Dis was right. They were not ready to venture out into danger again. Also, he did not really know them anymore, and had no idea how they would react in certain situations. If something were to happen and a split second reaction was required, he did not know what Fili would do anymore, let alone Kili. Also Kili's fainting spells were still unpredictable, and might prove problematic. So he and the other dwarves set out to do what had to be done without them.

Fili and Kili, tried their best to hurry and get ready so that they could try and talk Torin into taking them, or follow if they had to, but Dis was ready. She had called over a couple of male friends, for she knew she would need them in this situation, and when Fili and Kili got ready to leave, she stood in front of the door. "Stop!" She cried. "You cannot go."

"What do you mean by this?" Fili asked. "Why are you stopping us, mother?"

"Because you are not ready, and I will not allow you to die again."

"We didn't die the first time," Fili said, now somewhat enraged.

"Really?" She said. 'And it wasn't three weeks ago that your brother was still hiding under the bed weeping? And for you, it wasn't four weeks ago that you stayed up for three days straight until you almost collapsed? You're not ready to go back out there Fili."

"We can do it! Right Kili?"

For a moment, Kili didn't say anything. Fili looked over his shoulder at his brother. Kili had his head bowed and an expression of resignation on his face. "Maybe she's right, Fili...' He whispered.

"What?!" Fili said, shocked beyond reason.

"Maybe we're not ready to go back out there..."

"Don't do this to me, Kili."

"Do what? Admit that I am not strong enough? That I'm sad and pathetic? That I don't deserve to go?"

"I didn't say that," Dis said to him. "You are not pathetic Kili. You're just not ready."

"Are you sure?" He asked meekly.

She gave him a sympathetic look. "Of course. You're just fine, Kili. I don't want either of you to go. When all is safe, Thorin will send for us."

Fili wasn't about to back down. Kili may have given up on this endeavor, but he certainly hadn't. "Gt out of the way, mother."

"I will not."

"Please move, or I will move you."

"And how do you intend to do that?" She asked sternly.

"You may have gathered your friends here to stop me, but you cannot."

"You wanna bet?" She said sternly.

Fili went to his mother and tried to push her out of the way, but the other dwarves were there and took hold of him, taking his weapons and pack from him, despite the vigorous struggle. When Fili realized it was no use, he looked to Kili. At first no reaction, and then Kili said, "It's better this way." and he wandered back to his room.

"No!" Fili cried.

"It's alright dear." Dis said, walking to him and caressing his face. "It will all be okay. Take him to the cells."

The dwarves hauled Fili away.

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The cells were a small jail located on the edge of the village. There were about six cells located in this small stone structure, and they were well maintained, almost to the point of being comfortable. Fili had not been locked up since the last time he had inhabited his cage, and the sensation of being trapped was bringing back all sorts of wicked memories. Memories of torture, starving, humiliation. None of it was real, but the feeling certainly was. He was well guarded by the dwarves that kept the cells, so there was little chance that Fili would escape without outside help.

When Kili came to see him, he was not allowed in the cells, so he looked through th little grated window at his solemn brother who sat alone on his little cot. "Fili?" He said as he looked through the window. There was no answer. "Fili, please." Fili glanced at him, and then turned away again. Fili was making it clear that he did not want to talk to Kili. Kili left the cells in a distraught state that day.

When he came back a few days later, it was the same thing. Fili refused to talk to him, so Kili sat outside the door and started to speak with him anyway, telling him things, reminding him of things, creating things to talk about. He came back every day and did the same thing. However it was not until a week and a half into things that Fili finally broke his silence. Kili had started talking about the incident that landed Fili there. "It wasn't my fault," Kili said. "At the time, the thought of going just overwhelmed me."

"I know it's not your fault, Kili." Fili said.

Kili was happy that Fili had spoken, and jumped up to look at him. "I just can't understand why you betrayed me." Fili said forlornly.

"I know. I messed up. What? I can't mess up?"

"You can. You often do," Fili joked.

"Do you still want to go?" Kili asked.

"More than anything." Fili said.

"Then I will get you out. I will prepare everything, and in two nights, I will come." Kili said.

"You have a plan, I presume?" Fili said.

"I can work something out," Kili said with a little smile. "Don't worry. I'll be back. It's a promise."

Kili left, and Fili relaxed. His brother had made him a promise, and Kili always made good on his promises.

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Okay ladies and gents, I know that was a short one, but it's all I have time fore right now. Also I will be starting another two soon, and maybe some more little LOTR fics. May also go back to Tales of The Mother, and finish that one up. Anyway, look forward to more hopefully soon. If you have questions, comments, anything, let me know, leave a review and follows and faves are also appreciated. Thank you Celebrisilweth for the review, it is greatly appreciated. I shall see thee all later. Fare thee well for now! STS


	3. Chapter 3

The Light of the Mountain Chapter 3

The last thing that Bilbo Baggins expected to see at his door, late that night was another pair of dwarves. There were already eleven in the house, sleeping in every corner and making a considerable amount of noise. These two dwarves both looked young, and did not in the least look like they were happy to be there. The blond one said, "Fili," while the other one said "and Kili", and in unison they said, "at your service." and then a bow. They knew it was late and had whispered, but Bilbo was getting very upset about all this. "More dwarves?!" He exclaimed. "I already have eleven of you filling my house with unnerving snores! I certainly don't need anymore!" He was about to close the door on them when Fili said, "So this is the place..."

"Of course it's the place!" Bilbo said frustratedly. "Come in. I wasn't really going to shut you out, but this is becoming an extreme annoyance!" He looked around for a moment with concerned eyes. "There aren't any more of you, are there?"

"No." Fili said. "We are the last."

"Well thank goodness for that!" The hobbit said exasperated.

Fili and Kili were invited into the entry hall and almost immediately their faces were hung in something akin to shame, which baffled Bilbo. And why was Thorin staring at them in such an odd manner? Were they not supposed to be there? Something told the hobbit that something complicated was about to happen, and he did not know if he wanted to be a part of it. He led them all into the kitchen, which had already been decimated once that night, but it seemed like the best place for them to get out what ever needed to be gotten out. The hobbit then left them to talk.

Fili did not know what to say. Thorin did not look angry, but no one could be absolutely sure about his Uncle when it came to emotions. "The hobbit seems nice." Kili said randomly.

"What are you two doing here?" Thorin finally asked in a dark tone.

Fili thought it best that he answer for them. "We want to come with you, Thorin. We followed you here."

"In clear defiance of your mother's wishes."

"She is not our king, you are." Kili said.

"She is my sister, a princess from the line of Durin! She has no less authority!"

"Well you promised that Kili and I could go with you! We are of that line as well! Are we so pathetic that it is not worth your time to keep your promises to us?!" Kili hated it when Fili and Thorin clashed heads. Even before their ten years away it was uncomfortable to him, but tonight it was almost unbearable. He so wanted to disappear. Fili began again, "mother had me locked up in the cells, Thorin! She did that to me, put me in a cage..."

"She was trying to protect you!" Thorin raged.

"From what? The chance I might get hurt? She's a little too late for that...In fact, there's probably nothing that can happen to me now that would be worse than what has already happened to me!"

Kili didn't say anything. In fact, he didn't even look like he was there as he stared into nothingness across the table. The yelling had kicked off something in his brain and now he was trying to shut it out through not being there. Upon realizing this, both Thorin and Fili quieted a bit. "Damn." Fili said. "He's alright, it was just the yelling."

Thorin shook his head. "How exactly did you two come to be here?"

Fili began to tell Thorin. It was easier than one might have thought to get out of the cells. Kili was very stealthy and patient and had little trouble observing the guards and memorizing how they went about their rounds. A few stealthy non-lethal blows to the head, and he had taken care of the two guards who had stood watch just three nights ago in Ered Luin. When he got Fili out, Kili had already gathered everything for them to leave immediately, so they were able to leave the village quickly and quietly. Following the trail of the other dwarves was also easy, as they had no reason to hide their trail, and Kili had grown quite good at tracking things. They had reached the Shire that morning and had followed the trail to this hillside, where they found what they were looking for.

"You encountered no trouble?" Thorin asked.

"None at all," Fili replied. "It was all very uneventful."

"That is good..."

"Are you sending us back, Uncle?" Kili whispered as he emerged from his refuge of the mind.

"Not tonight, Kili." Thorin said.

"And tomorrow?"

"We shall see. Now you should rest, Kili. You have traveled far and very quickly. You need to sleep. Mr. Baggins will find you both a place."

"Is that the hobbit's name?" Fili asked.

"Yes," Thorin said. "Gandalf has chosen him as our burglar."

"Really?" Fili said. "You are taking this halfling with you on this journey?"

"As I said, it was not my choice. Hopefully he will be useful in some capacity, even if it just helping Bombur to cook. Halflings love their food. " Thorin smiled at that. "Now go and rest, Fili."

Fili went with Bilbo and Kili to rest, but Thorin stayed up for some time, thinking.

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By the time Fili and Kili had woken, which was at dawn, a very early time for them, Thorin had already spoken with Balin and Dwalin about the young dwarves. When Fili went to their Uncle he asked, "what is your decision?"

"When we get to Bree, you are going to send your mother a letter to let her know that you are safe and that you will be coming with us."

Fili's smile was unquenchable, but Thorin made himself completely clear by saying, "but there will be no oversleeping, no staring off into the ether, no episodes of any kind. Tell your brother that and make it known to him that I reserve the right to send you back at any time. Do you understand?"

"Yes Uncle!" Fili said. "Of course! Thank you so very much!"

"Hurry." Thorin said. We must start out."

So that morning, thirteen dwarves and a wizard left from Bag End. Their burglar had not joined them just yet, but Gandalf had no doubt that the hobbit would soon catch up.

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Okay ladies and gents! That is chapter 3, I will hopefully be back with chapter 4 soon, so let me know what you think. Thank you to Celebrisilweth and Isky for reviewing. It is always appreciated. Thank you for the follows and faves, also appreciated. Thank you, and I shall see you all soon! STS


	4. Chapter 4

The Light of the Mountain Chapter 4

When they set out from the Shire, Thorin still had his reservations about bringing Fili and Kili along. While he did not foresee any major issues, Azog and Bolg were still out there, and the chances were they would still be out for blood. Not necessarily Fili and Kili's blood, but if the two got in the way, the brutish orcs would have no qualms about hurting or killing them again. However, everything seemed to be very uneventful at the moment. Just as they were about to leave the Shire and cross the Brandywine Bridge, the hobbit caught up with them. Thorin was a little surprised to see him, but he said nothing about it, as if it had no great impact.

As soon as they got to Bree, Fili and Kili sent the letter to their mother. Thorin was glad that he wouldn't have to worry about a reply. He knew what would be in there if he ever got one. The hobbit seemed to find the two young dwarves especially interesting, as they were always in close proximity, and often spoke only to each other. The elder one did not sleep very much, often taking the night watches, and the younger one was never bothered when he slept. One night in the Lone Lands, they heard orcs on the prowl. The younger dwarf went into a shuddering fit and then fainted as the other one cradled him and sang softly into his ear. It was all quite odd.

The other dwarves did not seem at all bothered by these antics, as they seemed quite used to them. Bilbo wondered if he should ask what was with them, but thought it would be best if he did not ask Thorin. So he sidled up to Balin one night and decided to ask the big question. "Um...Balin. I was wondering..."

"If I could tell you what's troubling Fili and Kili?"

Blbo was a little taken aback. "You don't have to if you don't..."

"No, it's alright. Some long years ago, Fili and Kili were taken by goblins when a caravan was attacked. They were given to one of Thorin's greatest enemies, Azog the Defiler. In the halls of Moria, for ten long years, the orcs did terrible things to them. Subjected them to torments that one could hardly imagine. I think it's worse than anyone actually knows, for only they know most of the whole story, and only individually do they know their own personal stories. For most of that time they were separated, and were only allowed minimal communication. Many times they almost died, but somehow, they made it out of that place alive, where few other have."

"That's terrible!" Bilbo said. "And what of this Azog?"

"Azog is still out there somewhere. He truly seeks revenge again Thorin and his cousin Dain, for wounding him and taking his arm. He thought he could torture the two young ones and Thorin would give his life to save theirs. But they escaped, so he was denied his revenge again."

"Right." Bilbo said. "Well thank you for that information."

"They're survivors Bilbo. True warriors from the line of Durin. Just because they were hurt does not mean they were destroyed."

"No, of course not. Thank you Balin."

The old dwarf nodded and Bilbo went on his way. The next few days took them into the Trollshaws, a forested area that was actually very lovely, but Bilbo hoped there were no trolls there. Unfortunately he was not lucky on that count when he and Fili and Kili encountered three trolls attempting to eat their ponies. Bilbo tried to stop the trolls and free the ponies, but he was captured by the trolls. Both Fili and Kili watched as the hobbit dangled out of large troll hands. Kili's mind went to s strange place then. The troll was going to kill the hobbit. Probably would try to kill them all. Kill Thorin. KILL FILI! His mind snapped then, and he drew his sword and charged like a mad dwarf. He did not wait for the troll to drop the hobbit, or toss the hobbit or anything. He simply charged and ducked under the upturned hobbit, and his sword wen through a giant wrist, blood cascading as troll hand and hobbit fell to the ground.

Bilbo scrambled back, and as Fili charged out of the brush, he yelled at Bilbo, "go get the others!" As Kili continued his onslaught. He had cut the troll, and gouged it, and was now on it's back, stabbing it. The creature cried out in pain. Finally the blade pierced through it's neck, poking out through the other side, and the creature fell dead. Kili was thrown off it's back. Fili was fighting a second troll as Kili climbed to his feet, and in his madness, he actually went after the third, hacking and slashing. By the time the other dwarves got there, the two young dwarves were covered in troll blood, and the clearing was littered with severed troll parts. They were all dead, literally slaughtered by the two dwarves. Kili came down from his madness and collapsed. Fili was right there by his side, cradling him and singing a lullaby, one they both knew and had once loved.

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Fili and Kili met once again with Elrond, lord of Imladris after Gandalf had saved them and they had been run off by the orcs. Fighting the orcs had been odd for the two young dwarves. They did not go into their madness again, since they were more focused on running than fighting, however they were worried about the orcs and what might happen if they were taken by them. They had escaped though and were now bowing before Elrond as the other dwarves watched the two with some wonder. Dwarves bowing so graciously to elves. Such an odd sort of thing.

"Welcome back to Imladris, Fili and Kili sons of Dis." Elrond said. He noticed Thorin there as well. "And Thorin, son of Thrain son of Thror. It has been a long time. Come and enjoy our hospitality."

After dinner and looking at the map, Thorin sat with Elrond. The dwarf seemed overly worried about something and Elrond wondered what it was. "What troubles you master dwarf?"

"What usually bothers me? Fili and Kili." He said somewhat grumpily.

"You are still not sure about whether or not you should have allowed them to come?"

Thorin told Elrond about the incident with the trolls. "They did not kill the trolls. They slaughtered them. They were taken by some madness that could not be stopped. Elrond, I am worried for them. Azog and his spawn are still out there. What if something happens? What if I fail to protect them again?"

"You must do what you feel is right, Thorin son of Thrain. You can not shelter them from the world, even in their state. They must live in it like any other. You cannot sent them back now. It would not be wise. But you must do your best to shield them without smothering. They must rediscover the good in this world, they will find it is beautiful again."

"You have my thanks," Thorin said. "You have my thanks, Lord Elrond."

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Hello ladies and gents. I have returned to this fic for the moment, and there should be more soon. Anyway, this is the sequel to The Despair of Moria, so check it out if you haven't already. Also check out Fly Away Little Birds as I shall be doing the sequel to that as well. It will not be under crossovers, it will be under Lord of the Rings, but it will feature Fili. So look forward to that. Thank you for reading, following and faving. Also thank you to Celebrisilweth, and Isky, but I think I already thanked you guys, so thanks again. Anyway, hope you enjoy this. I shall return soon. Cheers! STS


	5. Chapter 5

The Light of the Mountain Chapter 5

The journey from Rivendell to the Misty Mountains was uneventful, which made Thorin wonder if they could simply pass through undetected by anyone. That would have been nice. Sadly it was a mere dream for them as they encountered rain on the mountain pass. The rocks became treacherous and it would be best for them to stop and find shelter, so they did. Finding a nice dry cave out of the rain, the dwarves slept. Fili slept as well, to Thorin's amazement. Maybe everything would be alright after all.

Then the floor began to move, and the dwarves fell through into the darkness below. At first it was hard to see anything, but Fili and Kili knew the sound of goblins when they heard them, and immediately drew weapons and took a defensive stance. When the light finally did come, they could not believe the number of creatures that were there. Again the madness seemed to take the two young dwarves, and they began to fight like beasts again. However it all came to an end rather quickly when two goblins took Ori by the arms and held a knife to his throat, one of them shouting, "stop now!"

Kili was about to go after them, but Thorin stopped him. "Kili, no, they will kill both of you."

"That's right. Drop the sword and we will not kill your friend here."

"Kili, put down the sword," Thorin said. "We've lost this round."

Kili finally did as he was told, and they were taken away. Bilbo had already fallen from that place and had begun his games with the creature Gollum. The dwarves were taken before the king, who was none too happy to see them. "Who are these miserable persons?"

"Dwarves, you eminence."

"Dwarves?!" The Goblin King shouted. "And what are dwarves doing in my domain?"

"We don't know, sir." His attendant said.

"You didn't think to ask them?" The King asked.

"No, majesty. We thought it was best left up to you."

"Did you now? Dwarves! Why are you here?!"

No one answered him. He glared down from his throne. "Who has brought you here. Which of you is the ringleader of this circus of pathetic?"

Thorin stepped forward. "Apologies are in order, I believe. We are merely passing through. We did not mean to trespass."

"Polite dwarf...He's polite isn't he?" He asked his attendant. The small goblin nodded his agreement. "Polite enough to be a king, I believe. Do I have in my presence the great Thorin Oakenshield?"

"I am who you think I am, Goblin King."

"Very good, very good, King Under the Mountain. So where is the King Under the Mountain going that would bring him into my domain?"

"As I said, we are merely passing through."

"You know what I think. I think the would be dwarf king is lying to me." The goblin looked at Thorin who did not answer. Then as he began to look away, he saw a discarded sword lying upon the wooden dais. He thought he knew it right away, but he had to be sure. "Bring me that sword." The small goblin brought him the sword. The King went to withdraw it, and then tossed it away, as if it burned. "Orcrist, The goblin Cleaver. Murderers! Elf Friends!"

As the shouting began, Kili bowed his head and wrapped his arms around himself. Fili was there by his side, attempting to shield him from view as the goblin screamed at Thorin. Then the goblin's eyes landed on them. "I will show you what we do to elf friends, Thorin Oakenshield. Bring those two forward!" He pointed at Fili and Kili.

"No!" Thorin cried as the tried to stand between his nephews and the goblins. It was no use though, as the goblins simply pushed him out of the way, holding him back as they hauled the two young dwarves out of the bunch.

Kili would not look up at the goblin, nor at any of the others who now stood around him. Fili glared up at the Goblin King. "You know, I remember," the goblin said. "Some years ago, we took two young dwarves in a raid. They were the nephews of one Thorin Oakenshield. We sold them to Azog the Defiler for as much mithril as he could muster. I heard that one became a slave and the other became a whore, servicing any who wanted a taste. That one!" He said, pointing at Kili. "Let's see his damage."

They hauled Kili forward and pulled his tunic and undershirt off, and it was then that everyone there saw the marks. The words carved into him. The Goblin jumped down from his throne and came and examined Kili. "Let's see...Dog...Whore and...Ah, I see that Bolg has claimed you as his own."

Kili hung his head in shame. All there might have known that Kili had been marked, but they certainly hadn't seen the ugly things, or if they had, they did not know what the words meant. He so wanted to disappear at that moment. The goblin continued to walk around him and examine him. "Tell me, were you a good little bed slave? Did you come to enjoy it? Did you ever beg for it? I am sure you did."

Thorin was sickened by this, and so were the other dwarves. Not at Kili, but at what had happened to him. Thorin's nephew, sold to an orc ans used as a pleasure slave...He would kill this goblin for saying such things. Kili was trembling as the goblin continued to study him.

"You did not beg for it, but you begged on more than one occasion for something, didn't you?" Kili's mind went back to that time when Bolg had wanted him to...He couldn't think of it. That was when the orc had begun carving into him, and that was the first time he was shared with others. From that time on, after he had so angered Bolg, the orc would bring in at least two friends to join in the pleasure. "You did something foolish and then you begged him to spare you, didn't you? And you continued to ask him to spare you every time it happened, didn't you? Such a sad little whore, weren't you? And how about the other one? What's his damage?"

They took Fili's shirt from him and the goblin examined him. "These marks were not made by a whip." The Goblin stated as he traced the scars upon Fili's back with his fat fingers.

"Please, leave them alone!" Thorin cried. "If you must punish someone, let it be me."

"I believe you were beaten by a cane, were you not?" Fili said nothing. "You don't have to answer. You know he's looking for you Thorin. Azog the Defiler. Now I am more than happy to tell him that you are my guest. Then maybe all three of you will go with him to Moria and be his pleasure toys. Would you like that, young dwarves?"

Fili and Kili remained silent. There was nothing to say really. They were going to suffer and they knew it, so Kili retreated to that place he often went when he was being violated, and Fili went to his place as well. He gave a sigh. He hadn't been there in a while.

The goblin went back to his throne and sat, staring down at the two. "Now that they seem to have readied themselves. Find a nice cane and beat that one like the slave that he is." He pointed at Fili, and then his hand traveled to Kili. "As for that one. I am sure he had only one purpose. We should stay true to that. Mount him like the whore that he is."

Word Thorin never wanted to hear, and yet there was really nothing he could do. They did find a nice wooden rod with which to hit Fili. It had been a while, and he did give a few small cries when it began, but then, silence. As for Kili, he was pushed to the floor and was about to accept that he was going to be used for such purposes again. Then a flash of light. Panic. Gandalf was there. Kili ran to Fili and helped him to get up as Throin came to them and tried to do what he could to help. They ran from that place then, and killed the Goblin King. When they spilled out onto the mountainside, they thought it was over.

Oin wanted to look at Fili's wounds, but he refused to allow it and put his shirt back on. Kili did the same. Then they were rejoined by Bilbo, whose survival was a mircle. However, the orcs had begun to come. Warg riders from Moria. These were Azog's orcs, Fili didn't need to be told that. They ran, but there was no place to go. They climbed trees to escape the wargs, but then all three of the heirs of Durin saw him. It was Azog the Defiler, in all his glory seated upon a white warg. And he immediately knew them.

Kili felt faint as Azog began to speak to Thorin, but Fili whispered in his ear, "don't you dare faint on me." Kili couldn't let Fili down and did his best to remain conscious. The hobbit saved Thorin, and when Fili and Kili were taken by the eagles, Fili allowed Kili to faint. Fili watched as the eagle carried the limp body of Thorin into the morning sky.

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Okay, hello there ladies and gents. Just thought I would throw this together. Anyway, hope this is not too harrowing for anyone. Tried to keep it as PG-13 as I could, but using the word "mount" is kind of harsh isn't it. No "mounting was actually done, but you understand. I want to keep the rating this story already has, but we'll see what happens. Thank you for following and faving. Please write me a review if you like it, or if you don't, or if you have a question, or whatever. Always lovely to hear from you. Alright, cheers! STS


	6. Chapter 6

The Light of The Mountain Chapter 6

Thorin was alive and well, and in Beorn, Fili and Kili had found something akin to a kindred spirit. This might have been due to the bond of slavery that the three shared, so to say. Either way, there was a lot of understanding and sympathy that was being passed between them. When they had to leave Beorn behind, it was a difficult goodbye for the two young dwarves. But the time had come, and Thorin had decided that they must be moving on.

Thorin was more than a little worried about his two young nephews, for once again, he saw in the goblin tunnels the madness that seemed to take the two whenever they were threatened, which did indeed make them seem very feral and uncivilized. He was even more worried by their reaction to Azog, Kili's almost immediate need to faint and Fili's frozen face...It was all too much for Thorin to think on. Not only that, but the fact that they were known amongst the goblins and orcs as "the slave" and "the whore", it almost made Thorin want to vomit. None of it was the fault of Fili and Kili, but still, the very thought of it...

Gandalf had told the dwarves to stay on the path in Mirkwood, as people now called it. Kili immediately didn't like it, and the further they ventured in, Fili liked it less and less as well. It was dark and cavernous, like a great cave. The thought of it made Fili shudder. He knew that they were going to get lost out here. When they did, it was no great surprise to him. Thorin had the hobbit climb a tree too see if he could see the path, or the direction or something. The moment the hobbit disappeared into the canopy, all hell broke loose.

Massive spiders attacked the dwarves. The madness took Fili and Kili again and while the others succumbed to spider bites, Fili and Kili chased a few of the spiders deeper into the forest. When Bilbo helped to free the other dwarves, he did not find Fili, Kili or Thorin among them...

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Fili and Kili had chased the attacking spiders into the forest. While they had been able to defeat the spiders, they were now quite lost in the forest, and if anyone could find a trail or path in this forest...It wasn't them. After a couple of days, they became despondent.

"Do you think they're looking for us, Fee?" Kili asked.

"Of course they are." Fili said pointedly. "Don't worry, we'll find our way back."

"But what if we don't, Fili? What if we never find our way out of this forest? I don't want to die in this darkness, Fili..." Kili said.

"Nobody's going to die in the darkness, Kee." Fili said, somewhat exasperated now. "We just have to find a path or a stream or something to follow."

Kili nodded. "I know. Sometimes, things just seem so impossible..."

"We've been in worse places, Kili. We'll find a way out." Fili put his arm around his brother. They would go on for a while, but he had to think of something before Kili began to panic.

What they presumed was night seemed to have fallen, and Fili decided that they needed to stop and rest. He found a nice mossy spot under a tree and sat down. Kili lay down and put his head in Fili's lap and Fili began to hum a lullaby, one they both knew and had once loved. Soon, Kili's eyes shut in sleep. For a while, Fili just stared out into the darkness. He did not expect to sleep that night. And yet...

He awoke with a a start as he heard a branch breaking nearby. Kili had heard it too and was rousing himself as well. They looked around in the darkness, searching for what might be out there. Suddenly, the forms of orcs began to come out of the darkness. There were at least eight orcs and there were only two of them. An uneven match if ever there was one. Still they had to try, for they were surrounded, and there was no other way. They drew swords and attacked.

During the fight, Fili and Kili got separated and Kili found himself taring down five orcs by himself. He could hear Fili somewhere not far off, calling his name. He was able to kill two but was quickly losing ground. He figured he had the strength for one final effort and threw himself at the orcs. All three fell dead, but not by his hand. They had arrows in their backs...Long arrows...Elven arrows. A small group of three elves stepped out of the darkness. One of them came right up to Kili and placed a hand on his shoulder, as if to soothe him.

Kili remembered the few words of elvish he had learned and figured he might as well be friendly. "You have come to help, mellon-nin?" He asked.

However the other hand of the elf came around and grabbed the sword out of Kili's hand, and he realized this elf was not here to help him. He madness took him and he used the only weapon he had left to him. He sunk his teeth deeply into the arm of the offending elf. The elf howled and tried to get the dwarf off of him, but he was unable to do so. It took the help of the other two elves and several blows to the head to dislodge Kili.

He was thrown, half-conscious, on the ground and his arms were bound tightly behind him. Worse than that was the wicked leather gag that was pulled far back into his mouth and tied tightly behind his head. He was then slung over the back of one of the elves and was carried away. Not far off, another small group of elves had Fili lying bound at their feet. They looked at the new dwarf, and then at Fili. Then they picked up the dwarf and both Fili and Kili were carried away into the forest.

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Thranduil didn't quite know what to make of all this. The first dwarf to be brought to him was Thorin, who was true to his dwarven nature and stubbornly refused to tell the elf anything. Then his elves picked up what he thought was the last of Thorin's party, ten other dwarves. So then who were the ones that his men had just brought to him today? They were young, savage, and had already wounded one of his hunters quite badly. Were they part of Thorin's party as well?

He had examined them when they had been brought before him, and he had examined the wound to the hunters hand. The dwarves were covered in dirt and scars. Could they have been escapees from orc captors? He would have to speak to them soon, but for now he ordered that they be taken to the Tiled Room. Hopefully they would be safe there for now.


	7. Chapter 7

The Light of the Mountain Chapter 7

Bilbo had made his way into the palace of the elven king. He had found all of the dwarves, even Thorin, but he did not find Fili and Kili, for they were in an odd part of the palace, and it would have been very impractical for him to look. From that moment on, his purpose was to find a way out for the other dwarves. As far as he knew, Fili and Kili had been killed by the spiders.

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Thranduil and his elves did not know what to make of these two damaged dwarves that they had found in the forest. They had examined them, despite vigorous protest, and they were mortified by what they saw. The blond one was covered in scars, everything from whip weals, they suspected, to healed punctures and someone had mutilated his feet. The other had also suffered from similar damage, but most of his afflictions were more psychological than physical. A pleasure slave? Abused in the worst of ways and his mind reflected that. They had not spoken to him, as they were afraid to take out the gag just yet, and the other one refused to say anything that made any sense, instead merely humming a song to himself as he protested as best he could.

It was all quite baffling to Thranduil. They had obviously been slaves to someone, but to who it was not clear. Had they escaped from Moria, or the goblin tunnels? The realm of the Necromancer? The least likely, Mordor? It was impossible to say, but it was clear that the two were close, as they were constantly trying to protect each other. Friends? Family? They certainly could not have been with the company of Thorin Oakenshield. The dwarf would never bring along such damaged beings. The fact that they had been found in the wood at nearly the same time was mere coincidence.

For now he was keeping them in the Tiled Room, which was a place where they kept creatures who needed attention and healing but weren't technically prisoners. Thranduil hoped to send them back to Ered Luin where the other dwarves were as soon as he deemed them fit. They had both been abused recently. They needed time to heal, and so he would keep them for a while until they were ready. Now he had to deal with what should happen with the dwarf king, and the mysterious shadow that had been seen several times in the halls, whatever it was.

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Fili and Kili sat in the middle of the Tiled Room, a large cylindrical room covered in light colored porcelain tiles. There were small windows high up with bars across them, but still the light flooded in. And Kili felt incredibly exposed. He had buried his head in Fili's chest and absolutely refused to look up. The gag was still in and it was exceedingly uncomfortable. Fili had tried to use his teeth to undo the knots, but it was no use. So he sat there and whispered words of encouragement to Kili.

Both of them had felt terribly violated when the elves had "examined" them, and now that the elves knew everything, Kili had that deep feeling of shame that plagued him every time someone looked at him with probing eyes. He had wept then, and he was weepign again now, even though it was uncomfortable to do so. Fili had also felt violated, especially when they looked at his his foot braces. He was slightly embarrassed that he was not exactly whole, and them looking at his replacement toes made it all the worse.

A small group of elves came into the room and walked over to Fili and Kili. Kili kept his head firmly against Fili's chest and Fili looked up at them imploringly. "Please, he hates that gag. Please, take it off him."

"He has to promise that he won't bite." A tall light haired elf said. "That was a considerable wound he gave our friend. If he is a danger to us, we cannot release him."

Fili lifted up Kili's head and looked him in the eyes. "Kili, did you hear that? They will release you from the gag, but only if you promise not to bite. Can you do that for me? Promise not to bite?"

Kili stared into Fili's eyes for a moment. Then he nodded. The elf reached down and undid the knots and Kili's mouth was freed. He looked up at the elves standing around him and Fili. A sense of being very outnumbered overcame him and he lowered his gaze again.

"We had assumed you were someones slaves..."The elf started.

"We were held by the orcs of Moria for ten years." Fili said. "They did...Terrible things..."

"I can imagine," the elf said. "They are especially vicious. I am Legolas, and I am prince here. You are not technically prisoners, however, we cannot in all good conscience send you to your people in Ered Luin until you have recovered from your injuries."

"But..." Fili started.

"You will remain here until then." The elf said. "You will be fed and watered, but you cannot leave this room."

"So you are keeping us prisoner?" Fili said dourly.

"This is for your own good. You need to rest and heal. When you are well enough, we will arrange for an escort back to Ered Luin."

With that, Legolas turned and left them. That night they were presented with food, water and more proper bedding. While Fili took advantage of all of these, Kili only took advantage of the bedding. Fili was worried about Kili. Was he reverting?His fears were alleviated though when Kili began to eat the next day. They explored that room when they were alone, and they only spoke of their uncle and the quest when there was no one around. Fili was worried, for if they were "escorted" back to Ered Luin, they would have to start all over again. They didn't even know if Thorin and the others were alright.

Kili sometimes listened at the door, and was glad that he did, for he heard the elves talking about the "other dwarves" being held there, and "the stubborn dwarf king". Kili was overjoyed when he heard that, and Fili was even more overjoyed when Kili told him. If Thorin was alive, they had to escape this place and get to him. However that seemed quite impossible at the moment. If they could just find an elf among them that they could trust...

Kili thought he had found that in Nahar, the young elf who brought their food and tended their wounds. He was a sweet young elf (if you could call someone aged 1004 young) and seemed to enjoy spending time with them. Finally, Kili decided to take the risk, without consulting Fili.

"You know," he said to Nahar, "we don't really want to go back to Ered Luin. We have been told that dwarves have been trying to go back to the mountain."

"Really?" Said Nahar. "Did the orcs tell you that?"

"No..." Kili said.

Fili was somewhat worried by this conversation. Kili was treading on thin ice. "We heard things from others who passed through."

"So tell me, how is Thorin Oakenshield going to get into the mountain? Walk through the front gate?"

"Well uncle has the key..."

"KILI!" Fili cried. Kili then realized what he had said.

"Please, don't tell anyone what I have said. Because we're friends, right?"

"Of course." The elf said.

The fact that the elf did not leave to tell right away gave Kili some hope. The young elf actually left them quite late, for it sounded like there was a party or something going on. The next morning they were awakened by the elven king himself though. The elf was livid. "So you are family to Thorin Oakenshield?"

Fili and Kili just looked at each other, not sure if they should answer. Then the king got down in Fili's face. "Answer the question, little dwarf..."The king said in a venomous voice.

"Thorin is our uncle..." Fili said.

"Both fortunately and unfortunately for you, the dwarf king escaped last night. I assume you are the eldest?" He asked.

"I am," Fili said. "You can punish me if you wish."

"No, I will punish Thorin. Take that one!"

"No!" Cried Kili as he grabbed ahold of Fili in a tight grip. When they tried to remove him, he tried to bite again. A fist hammered into the side of his head and he fell.

"KILI!" Fili cried. Unfortunately Fili was bound and taken away. Kili was also bound, and the gag was reinserted and he was left, delirious on the floor. When he woke, he found himself alone in the room, bound and gagged once more. All he could do was crawl over to the wall and bury his head against it and weep bitterly, thought he knew, once again, that these tears were not for himself.

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Hello! Thanks to Celebrisilweth for continuing to comment. Always love to hear from you! Would love to hear from all my lovely readers, so leave me a review/comment if you like what you see. Thank you so much and cheers! STS


	8. Chapter 8

The Light of The Mountain Chapter 8

The elves had not hurt Fili. They simply took him to a cell away from Kili and left him alone. Almost completely alone. Even when they tended to him and fed him, they were completely silent and barely acknowledged him. This alone was maddening, for it made him feel truly defenseless and alone. He was worried about Kili. What had they done to Kili? His brother was all alone now, and he had no way of knowing what was happening to him. Every time he tried to ask anyone something, he was completely ignored. So just as they did not respond to him, he did not respond to them. He simply sat back in a dark corner and refused to interact with anyone or anything.

However, in some ways Fili was both lucky and unlucky, for Thrnduil came to him soon after his decision to stop responding. When the elf entered the cell, Fili did not get up, or react in any way. He just continued to sit in his corner. The elf walked over to the huddled dwarf. He reached his hand down and stroked Fili's hair. The only reaction the elf got was a slight shiver from the dwarf. He smiled to himself. "You certainly are dedicated to this act, aren't you?" He said to Fili.

Fili did not react, so the elf went on. "You should know that your brother is alright. He has not been damaged, or at least not by us."

Fili finally reacted. "Please, let me go back to him. I am sure he is quite scared."

"I would, but it would seem that your uncle has entered the mountain, and has released the dragon. Laketown is in a bit of a mess, and it is because of his foolishness. We must go to the aid of Laketown now." Thranduil said.

"So what does that have to do with taking me back to Kili?" Fili asked. He had still not looked up at the elf, but stared at the long robes in front of him.

"You really are a damaged thing, aren't you?" Thranduil asked.

"I still live though. That is more than many can say."

The elf gave a wry smile. "It is indeed. Surely the Master of Laketown will ask Thorin for monetary aid. I want to be there when he does and make my request to get back the jewels of the elves to Thorin again. Hopefully he will be able to see beyond his foolishness and give the ones he has hurt what belongs to them."

"The ones he has hurt?" Fili said. "If you had helped those many years ago with the dragon, we might not be in this situation right now."

"Quite a few things might not have happened." The elf said. "However, they have happened, and this is the reality of now. You will come with me and help me in my bargaining."

"And Kili?"

"Kili will stay here, where he will be safe."

"NO! You can't take me away from Kili! Not again!"

'Again?' Thranduil thought. The dwarf now had a funny look upon his face, for he was now staring straight into Thranduil's face, and the look that he wore was one of pure panic.

"Please," Fili said. "You can beat me with your rod, or throw me to your soldiers, or anything, but do not take Kili from me again. Please, mightiest Azog..."

Thranduil did not know what the dwarf was seeing, but what he was seeing was quite clear. A desperate person, begging, not for himself, but for one he loved. Then Fili began to laugh. Then the laugh was mixed with sobbing. The sound was terrifying. Could Thranduil do this thing to this poor tortured soul? He really didn't have a choice. He motioned for his guards to take Fili away. The yelling and crying that followed was almost unbearable. Thranduil would hate himself for a long time for doing this. But this may be the only chance he would ever have, and he was going to take it.

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Kili was alone again, lost in dark memories, things that he had long wished he could forget, but it was no use. They were there, always on the tip of his memory. Fili was gone...Had he even been there, or was this some cruel trick his mind had been playing on him? Maybe this was the cruelest punishment of all...He kept waiting for something to happen. Some pain to be inflicted upon him. Something. But nothing did. People entered and left the room, but none of them interacted with him.

So he was alone, but the gag was new. Bolg had never used a gag before. The orc never seemed to mind any sounds that accompanied whatever they did. This was different however. Later, when he heard someone enter the room and walk toward him, he was prepared to feel pain. Again, he was surprised. The gag was removed and a hand gently rubbed his arm and back. Someone was attempting to...Comfort him? Was it Fili?! He didn't look, for he did not want to shatter the image if it was not, he simply began to speak.

"I'm so glad you're back. There's something I have been wanting to tell you for a long time, and I think now may be my last chance." With that, Kili began to tell his story, the whole story with every terrible detail. The rape that had hurt him in both body and soul, the guilt over accepting that there was no way out of it. The further guilt that he then used this as a device to contact Fili. "I had to. I had to know if you were still alive." Then the greatest guilt at having been labeled a whore, namely by himself. Then the incident that had truly destroyed him, the bloody note, the first times he had been given to others. The escape, the rock, everything. By the time it was over, the young dwarf was nearly choking on his tears. "I know that no one can ever forgive me for what I've done, but I wanted you to know. Can you forgive me, Fili?"

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Nahar the elf listened in astonishment to the dwarf's story. It was one of the most terrible and harrowing things he had ever heard. He sat my the dwarf's side and continued to try and comfort him. He realized some time ago that this story was not for him, but still, he was the only one there to hear it. He said, "you have nothing to be sorry for. None of this was your fault. The ones who did this to you are the ones to blame. You do not need to be forgiven."

"Thank you, Fili." The dwarf said before he fell into unconsciousness.

When he woke later, Kili found that Nahar was by his side. "It was you wasn't it?" Kili said, realizing the mistake he had made.

"Yes. I will tell no one, but I think you needed to tell someone, and some day you will tell the one you meant to tell." The elf said.

"Where is Fili?"

"Thranduil has taken him to the mountain to use as a bargaining chip against Thorin Oakenshield."

"And I cannot help Fili...What if he dies?!" Kili was distraught again. Nahar did what he could to calm the dwarf.

"Thranduil will not kill Fili."

"I just want to be there for him. For him and Thorin."

"I understand," Nahar said. "If it really means that much to you...I can take you there."

"Really?!" Kili said happily. "But won't you get in trouble?"

"Perhaps...But...It's not important. Come with me." Nahar took Kili with him, and some time later, they rode from the palace together.

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Hello all. So sorry that I have not been able to update recently, but I have been ill of late and I am also taking care of others who are ill, so finding time has been difficult. Anyway, this one is coming into the finishing round, so we shall have to see what happens. Hopefully Fili and Kili get a happy ending this time, but I'm not going to make any promises. Anyway, thanks for reading! Will get back to "Peace for the Wandering Soul" and "The Curse of Silence" soon! Cheers! STS


	9. Chapter 9

The Light of the Mountain Chapter 9

When Thranduil and Bard of Laketown confronted Thorin, they actually had three things with which to bargain. One of them was Fili, who was now shivering as he sat with Thranduil upon the great elk. The other was the Arkenstone, which Bilbo had delivered to them the night before. The last was Bilbo, for once he saw that they had Fili, they could not let him go. This all confused Thorin to no end, especially in his addled state. Fili is alive? They have the Arkenstone? Bilbo betrayed me? All of these thoughts coursed through his maddened mind.

What Thranduil had not expected was for Dain to show up. The dwarf was more than ready to fight him. "Release your hostages, you pointy eared bastard!" He cried out as he and his soldiers made ready to fight. Fili wondered if Thorin would come to his senses and come to his aid. However, things had become very complicated now, and Thorin and the others had retreated back into the mountain. In that moment, Fili cursed Thorin for his foolishness. _How can he do this?_ He wondered.

Then things became even more complicated, as the orcs appeared, led by the great pale orc, Azog the Defiler. The moment Fili saw him, he clamped his eyes shut and began to shake in earnest. The elves knew that Dain and his men would be slaughtered by the orcs if they did not help, and all of the forces there upon the field began to fight. He thought that he and Bilbo would be safe with Thranduil and his elves. He knew he was wrong when the elk was dropped, and so was he.

Bilbo was able to put his ring on and disappear before the orcs got to them, but Fili had no such protection, and the orcs fell upon the fallen dwarf. They did not kill him. They took him up onto Ravenhill and to their master, Azog. Bilbo followed in his invisible state in hopes that he would be able to help Fili. When Azog saw Fili, he gave a wicked, toothy grin. "Why if it isn't my little slave." He said. "It has been many long years, and yet here we are again. I thought you dead when my orcs told me that you had jumped from the mountain side so many years ago. I knew they were wrong when I saw you with Oakenshield's party." He spoke to his orcs, "I wish to see my handiwork. Expose his shoulders."

The orcs began to claw at Fili clothes. He struggled, not sure what was happening, but they managed to rip open his jacket and undershirt to reveal his shoulders. And there, on his right shoulder were the scars given to him so long ago when Azog had stabbed him through the right shoulder with his barbed hand. Azog's hand reached down and traced the deep scars with his good hand. "You are lucky. With puncture wounds like these, they might have become infected, you might have bled to death. But you are stronger than that, aren't you? Stronger than your whore brother."

"You are nothing but a freak, and a coward, and when the time comes, you will die in agony." Fili said. He did not know where this bravery was coming from, but it earned him a backhanded slap to the face.

"You are the one who will die in agony, little slave. You may act brave now, but I bet I can make you scream again. Like you did in the beginning." Azog turned, as if he meant to leave. Then his claws lanced out again, and Fili's other shoulder was pierced by the barbs. Fili gave a long broken cry, which made the orc smile. "See. I can make you scream again. And when I take you back to Moria after this battle, you can scream more for me. Maybe I will use you for my pleasure, like they did with the little whore. Would you like that?" He said as he moved the barbs around, causing the dwarf to squirm and cry out again. "After I kill your uncle, I will come back for you." He said. He pulled the barbs out and he left, and Fili lost his battle with unconsciousness.

What he didn't know was that Bilbo had been watching and waiting. When the orcs bound Fili and left him to himself, Bilbo took off the ring, came to him and tried to rouse him. When Fili woke, he saw it was Bilbo and knew that he had to be quiet in order for Bilbo to get him out of there. Bilbo untied Fili and helped the dwarf to his feet, but then they were confronted by a small band or orcs. Bilbo knew that he had no choice but to fight in order to protect Fili, so he unsheathed Sting and went about taking care of their orc problem. He killed one of them, but the other two were too much. Thankfully, Fili was able to take up a fallen sword and at least help Bilbo with one, ad soon they were away for a moment.

Most of the orcs had gone down the hill to fight with Thorin, which neither Bilbo nor Fili knew had joined the fight. For the moment, their path was clear. Bilbo found a small crevasse and helped Fili inside. This reminded Fili of the caves behind the stone facade that he and Kili had lived in after their initial escape from the orcs in Moria. He went to the back of the small cave and pressed his back against the wall. There was not much that Bilbo could do to help his wounds. He bandaged them with cloth strips torn from his shirt, but the bleeding was quite fierce, and soon Fili was out again.

Bilbo could not stay with Fili though, for something was happening down on the hill, so he did his best to help Fili and make him as comfortable as could be allowed, but he had to go. He knew that Fili would be safe there, at least for now. When he made his way down the hill what he saw astounded him. There was Thorin, almost face to face with Azog, and not far off was Kili, who was shouting something about Fili. Then another great orc came from behind Kili and pulled him away. Kili was gone into the shadows, but Bilbo knew that he could help the young dwarf. Again he slipped on his ring and followed.

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It was Bolg! Bolg had found Kili once again, and the orc was beyond maddened. He had that look in his eyes, the same one he had had when he had thrown Kili to his orcs that first time. He threw Kili to the ground and began to beat him savagely, hatting him in the head several time and kicking him in the ribs. Kili was sure that a few of them would surely be broken. Then the orc was done beating him and his intent changed. He was going to defile Kili. And the dwarf was in no shape to fight him off. Bolg was about to get to it when suddenly he was tackled from behind. It was the elf, Nahar, the one who had brought Kili here.

The elf had his long knives in hand and was ready to take on the great beast. The battle was brutal between the two, each wounding the other terribly. However, Bolg got the upper-hand on the elf, and his sword plunged into Nahar's belly. When it came out there was a great amount of blood, and the elf fell to his knees. Bolg was going to return to Kili to finish what he had started, for he thought that Nahar was through. However, the elf used his last ounce of strength to rise and he charged the orc, his knives plunging into the orc, one through the back, the other straight into the back of the head. Then he took the orc and pulled him to the edge of the cliff and threw him over.

Nahar fell to his knees again, at the edge of the precipice. He turned his head and saw that Kili was trying to crawl over to him, trying to help him. He had to get up for Kili. So he called on his last reserves of strength and got falteringly to his feet once more. His took a few steps away from the edge, but stopped mid-step. The wound was now pouring blood as he held it, and the blood now spurted out of his mouth as well. He lost the few steps that he had gained and fell from that place. Thankfully he was dead before he met the bottom. The same could not be said for Bolg, who took his last breaths from a shattered body.

Kili was unconscious when Bilbo came to him. He was not sure if he could carry the weight of the young dwarf. Thankfully, Dwalin was nearby and he called for the other dwarf. They both carried Kili to the cave where Fili rested, and they were put together to make each other safe, for now, Bilbo had to go and help Thorin, or the dwarf would surely die.

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Hello all! Next one will probably be that last one. Thanks to Mili, Celebrisilweth and BlackHreat for staying with it. I appreciate it. Thanks to everyone who faved and followed. It's almost over, and we'll see what happens. Cheers!


	10. Chapter 10

The Light of The Mountain Chapter 10

Thorin Oakenshield was indeed in a dire situation. At the moment, he saw only one way out, and he was about to take it. It would probably mean his death, but that was alright if he could take Azog with him. He was about to go through with his plan when suddenly, something landed on Azog's back, and the point of a shining blue sword came out through the orcs neck. Bilbo had stabbed Azog from behind, and the orc was not having any of it, as he reached around and grabbed the hobbit's ankle and tossed him aside, an audible snapping as the hobbit's ankle broke.

That gave Thorin just enough time to recover. He rose to his feet and readied himself to strike. Azog pulled the tiny sword out of his neck and the blood gushed from the wound. Thorin stepped up the the great white orc and cut his head from off his shoulders. Azog The Defiler was no more. Thorin fell then, and Bilbo crawled to his side. The dwarf had merely passed out. Bilbo was pretty sure that Thorin Oakenshield would live to become King Under the Mountain.

Dwalin went back to the place where he and Bilbo had left Fili and Kili. He was worried as to what he might find, for they had both been in bad shape. What he found made him give a long sigh of relief. Fili was sitting up, and Kili's head was cradled in his lap. Fili was humming a lullaby, one they both knew and still loved, and Kili was breathing peacefully in sleep. The line of Durin was still intact.

While the three royals had survive, the ending of the battle was still bittersweet. Nori was gone, to the great distress of Dori and Ori. Bifur and Bombur were gone, leaving Bofur alone with a broken heart. Also both Oin and Gloin were gone, leaving none to mourn them but Thorin, Dwalin and Balin, who would always consider then as the bravest and most loyal of friends. As the injured recuperated, there were a series of funerals, and sorrowful goodbyes. The Arkenstone was buried alongside these heroes and would bother the minds of kings no longer.

By the time Bilbo had recovered enough to make the journey home, he saw to the last and most important thing, and witnessed the crowning of The King Under the Mountain and his two beloved princes. As he made ready to leave, Thorin came to him. "Bilbo Baggins..."He said. "You know I always had doubts about you. The small, unprepared gentle-hobbit who was not, by any means, ready to face the outside world. And yet you saved me, both from Azog and from myself, and you were instrumental in saving my kin as well. Would you ever forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive, Thorin king." Bilbo said with a little bow. "Just remember that life is far more important that gold, for it is the greatest of treasure. Treasure those you love, Thorin, and they will never leave your side."

"I will treasure our friendship, master hobbit."

"I am glad. I hope to see you again, Thorin Oakenshield. I don't know if I will, but I have a strange feeling that my fate will one day meet again with the line of Durin."

"I hope that is true, Bilbo. Until then, I will say farewell." Thorin Oakenshield then bowed to Bilbo, and then it was over, as he said goodbye to the rest of the company, taking care to say the fondest of farewells to Fili and Kili, who had survived so much, and then he returned to his home.

Many dwarves passed East through the Northlands on their way to Erebor. Few of these caravans passed through the Shire, but one did. One night, there was a knock on Bilbo's door, and he was surprised to find, standing on his doorstep a dwarf woman. She bowed to him. "Dis daughter of Thrain, at your service. I assume you are Mister Baggins."  
"And you are mother to Fili and Kili." He said.

"I am. They sent me a letter that said that you were responsible for their survival. Since I was passing through. I thought I would come and give you my thanks. Thank you so much for watching over them." Then she almost collapsed on his doorstep in weeping. So he took her inside and they had a bit of tea, and they talked. He told her as much as he could and in return, she told him all about herself, and Thorin, her husband, and Fili and Kili, and how it had almost killed her when they were lost. They talked late into the night, and then she stayed with him until late into the morning, but then told him that she must leave, for other's were waiting.

And that was the end of Bilbo Baggin's adventure. He never told anyone about the ring, or at least he never told anyone the full truth. Little did he know that it would become very important someday, and that the line of Durin might become entrenched in the coming storm.

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So that's the end for this one. Yay! Happy ending! Anyway, thank you all for reading, it is always appreciated. Thank you to Mili, BlackHreat, Celebrisilweth, and Isky for reviewing. I hope to get on with "Curse" soon and "Peace for" and perhaps start something new. Anyway, cheers! I shall see thee all upon my return! STS


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